


Better Than Fiction

by Mytha



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: DA Remix Fest 2017, F/F, Fluff, Humor, Remix, Romance, Swords and Shields, da remix fest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-17 18:19:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11857029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mytha/pseuds/Mytha
Summary: Meant to work as a continuation of sqbr's lovely fic "A New Ideal" and part of The Dragon Age Remix Fest.This is a short romantic comedy about Herah and Cassandra's adventures in courtship.





	Better Than Fiction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sqbr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sqbr/gifts).
  * Inspired by [A New Ideal](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3305561) by [sqbr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sqbr/pseuds/sqbr). 



> I love the idea of Cassandra and the Inquisitor bonding over their love of romantic tales and _Swords and Shields_ , so I really enjoyed sqbr's _A New Ideal_ and wanted to explore how they might start their courtship tring to live up to the ideals gathered from those tales.
> 
> I also was so delighted by the excerpt of "smutty literature" with Evaline and Liesbeth (as someone who also ships Aveline and Isabela) - and just wanted an excuse to try and write some of that for this, because it cracked me up in the best way when I first read the original fic.

 

 

Reading the next chapter of _Swords and Shields_ was _not_ working. Herah had hoped that it might take her mind off the situation she now miraculously found herself in with Cassandra – or inspire her as to what to do, what her first step in wooing Cassandra should be. But the story of Knight Captain Evaline and Liesbeth the pirate was so connected to how she felt about the Seeker now. There were so many possibilities, how should she begin? 

If she had sometimes compared the brave Knight Captain to Cassandra in her mind before, this was all compounded now by the fact they had talked about these characters together and discussed the ways in which they related to them. Reading, she felt herself slip into Liesbeth's head and the shape of the strapping, red-haired Knight Captain melted away into Cassandra's form.

At least Liesbeth had finally returned to the city. Herah was eager to get to the part where the pirate and Knight Captain would get together at last. She picked up the book again, leafing through the pages frantically. Here it was now! She held the book more tightly and tensed with anticipation. This was going to be good!

__

> _The buxom pirate strode towards the flame-haired Knight Captain will little regard for the latter's authority._
> 
> “ _Did you miss me?” Liesbeth quipped and batted her long, raven-black eyelashes._
> 
> _Evaline's heart fluttered as much as the eyelashes did, but she refused to be won over by such a cheap trick. Sure, she had missed Liesbeth fiercely, her treacherous heart rebelling against her better judgement, but she had a reputation to uphold._
> 
> “ _You fled after leaving the city at the mercy of the Arishok!” Evaline accused haughtily. Her righteous fury making her eyes blaze like the fire of a gaatlok explosion even as the midday sun was reflected by her shining armor. She was a striking figure indeed, blinding in her resplendence._
> 
> “ _Hey, I gave up the goods! I saved the city!” Liesbeth protested and pouted piteously._
> 
> “ _We will have to have a talk about that.” Evaline barked and stepped in front of the pirate, towering over her threateningly._
> 
> “ _Oh you.” Liesbeth breathed sweetly and uncowed. “Did I ever tell you you are beautiful when you are angry?”_
> 
> _She grasped Evaline's necktie and pulled her down into a searing, punishing kiss that tasted of spiced rum and vanilla._
> 
> _Evaline grunted in protest, her impressive musculature tensing under the brash pirate's touch, and pushed her away violently. “Arrest this woman!” She gestured to her guards, who rushed over to do her bidding at once._
> 
> _Even Liesbeth's beautiful, pillowy lips and void-dark eyes, which looked at her imploringly as she was dragged away, could not sway Evaline from doing what she knew was right._

Herah finally exhaled and let the book sink down into her lap. This was simply too much to take in all at once. The tension of the scene had left her giddy and holding her breath. If she did not already know that Liesbeth and the Knight Captain would get together in the end she would be seriously worried.

This promise of a romance building between the two women was thrilling, but if she had expected to gain any inspiration for her own romance from Liesbeth, she was barking up the wrong tree. As romantic as it was in _Swords and Shields_ , Herah was sure Cassandra would not appreciate being swept up in a punishing kiss in front of all of Skyhold. Or would she? No, certainly not as an overture to courtship. Herah huffed in frustration and let the book drop to her side.

Looking to Liesbeth for inspiration might embolden and inspire her to be passionate, but Cassandra had been clear about preferring Herah's responsibility and dedication to the Inquisition to the impulsive nature of someone like Liesbeth the pirate queen. Well no, she _had_ also praised Herah's passionate side. This was maddening!

What should she do? How should she begin this courtship? The only thing she was sure of was that it would have to be a grand gesture. After all, they did both want everything in love. Passion, yes. And poetry! Evaline liked poetry – and so did Cassandra! Maybe she could put down in words the turmoil of feelings crashing down on her heart in waves every time she thought of Cassandra. It would not have to be perfect – it would just have to be true!

Herah closed the book with a loud clap and catapulted from the bed with determination and grabbed pen and parchment from her desk.

__

Scaling the wall had become increasingly more difficult, but Cassandra was utterly determined. Best not to question her judgment once her decision had been made. This was a gesture that was romantic enough and worthy of the Inquisitor. It was just the thing to surprise Herah with, who surely by this point had got to the part in the new chapter of _Swords and Shields_ where Knight Captain Evaline broke Liesbeth out of the Gallows tower she had been sent to by scaling its _forbidding, merciless, soot-blackened walls_. A scene that was so romantic and touching that it propelled her onward even then.

She had had to ask for help with this enterprise, however. Leliana, who had somehow wheedled out of her and Herah all that had happened between them after a mere day, had been suspiciously eager to help. Maybe this was her way of repaying Cassandra for looking the other way the time the Left Hand of the Divine had smuggled the Hero of Ferelden into her quarters at the Grand Cathedral for activities not altogether holy.

Leliana had not only advised her, in her choice of flowers to bring to the Inquisitor, but also had managed to sneak into Herah's quarters during the day and attached a rope to the grand balcony where it met the wall. She also made sure Cassandra was secured while climbing, lest the former Right Hand of the Divine plunge to her death in the pursuit of romantic folly.

So far, things were going according to plan. Still, the climb had been more arduous than Cassandra had anticipated and she was sweaty and hot – and frankly very worried about accidentally having crushed the small bouquet of violet flowers hidden in a small satchel on her hip.

She finally reached the balustrade of Herah's balcony and pulled herself over it, a burst of adrenaline spurning her on, but landed somewhat inelegantly on the hard stones with an audible thud and muffled grunt.

Cassandra stood carefully and caught her breath, then checked on the flowers in her satchel. They were a little worse for wear, but still presentable. Her heart slowed down to a more normal rhythm and she braced herself for seeing Herah, more breathless with anticipation than exertion.

Inside, she first noticed the pieces of parchment covering the ground in small shreds, increasing in number closer to the desk at which Herah sat, head in hands, surrounded by more parchment – mostly crumpled into ball-like shapes.

Cassandra cleared her throat. “Herah?”

Herah flinched, startled, and looked up. Her eyes widened incredulously as she saw Cassandra. Herah's white hair was loose; the light cast by the large candelabra behind her reminded Cassandra of a cloud outlined in golden light by the sun. An effect underlined by the golden shine on the metal tips of Herah's horns. She was beautiful - but she looked distraught.

“Cassandra? Where did you come from?” Herah's voice was rough and incredulous.

Cassandra felt the blush spreading over her face. “I scaled the walls to my lady's tower.” It seemed a little silly now. She crossed the distance to Herah's desk and produced the flowers from her satchel, laying them down carefully on Herah's desk.

Harah reached out and took her hand, it disappeared almost completely in her grasp. Cassandra felt immeasurably steadied by it.

“Cassandra I...” Herah cleared her throat and looked at Cassandra almost reverently. “You are incredible. You climbed? Your strength is... you are...” Then Herah's features settled into a more familiar expression of determination. She took a deep breath and began to recite, her voice both soft and strong.

“When waves of longing overwhelm my heart

and love's keen blade prepares to strike me down.

I am reminded of my lady's strength and better part

who to me happiness and hope has often... shown.”

Herah faltered and her face fell. “Maybe deciding to rhyme was a mistake.” She stood and took a step back from the desk.

Cassandra felt stunned with awe and happiness. “You wrote poetry for me? You wrote this... about me?”

Herah let her eyes wander pointedly over the carnage of parchment scattered about her room. “I _tried_ to write poetry for you. I tried to write about my feelings for you. I have not had much success.”

“But, - Herah!” Cassandra let out a surprised and low laugh and then leaned across the desk and grasped Herah's hand again and more tightly. “Thank you. This was wonderful. Is there more?”

Herah blushed and then gently freed her hand from Cassandra's grasp to gather a handful of relatively unharmed scrolls into a neat bundle, which she tentatively held out to her. “They are all for you... if you want them.”

Cassandra's heart felt full with happiness and affection. She scaled the desk, which in comparison with the wall, was but a small obstacle in her path to reach Herah, and took her face in her hands. “I want them. I want _you_ – so very much.”

Then she claimed Herah's mouth with a kiss that she knew someone might later describe as  _searing._ Although it all felt like something out of  _Swords and Shields,_ kissing Herah at last was far better  than fiction.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you amarmeme for the beta! And also the gift of the title. You are a star!


End file.
